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Bewildered, confused, terrified that will lose everything we have worked so hard to build up. Over 70 K unsecured debt and 28K owed to family. Have been self employed for 10 years but business gradually gone down hill in recession. partner went back t o work, on good salary 47K but not enough, plus some money still coming in from business/part time jobs. Have 3 years left of independent school fees (yes we could pull child out but it would destroy him - please don't judge), older child about to go to university and we won't be able to provide much support. Talked to debt charity earlier this year and wrote to some creditors but not all - kept thinking things would improve but they haven't yet, so now need to do the rest - wish I had listened and acted fully 6 months ago. Better late than never I guess. Desperately looking for a job but too stressed to produce good applications. Sleep deprivation and now relationship problems. Have a decent house but don't want to downsize as have elderly parents with health issues who will need our support and probably move in with us. Health beginning to suffer. Don't know how we got ourselves into this state - well educated, professionals, feel totally ashamed, so keep up the pretences with everyone that everything is hunky dory. So sad and depressed.

Hi everyone I'm back
Thanks for popping by and posting Brizzle, Cherry, Redo, ToPM, Cumbria, jvr
All OK
Hectic lead up to trip away, exhausted before we left, away for 11 days inc travel. Survived the relatives, bit my tongue a lot. Made mum very happy. She saw a lot of people, some she hadn't seen for many years, and that's what it was about really and why I did the trip. Got back lat on Thursday night, did nothing on Friday, took mum back home on Saturday and spent all of today washing and catching up with work emails. Out at part time job for 3 days so unlikely to catch up on diaries until towards end of week. DS DD DH got used to being without me, feel like a spare part now lots of stuff going on in background but ignoring it for the moment, feeling positive, the change (even though not a 'break' in any real sense) probably did some good

SE a work a little on the dry side, pipeline drying up - need some more projects coming through soonish. lots of finance stuff to catch up on etc- 3 weeks of -as a few extra expenses for trip.
Hope all is well with everyone, will catch up as and when -

The week has flown by, 3 days out at work and exhausted in the evenings so going to bed early. Was at home today catching up.

Achievements
1) Many loads of washing done over the week.
2) Unpacked (but not all put away)
3) Emails trawled through/deleted or replied to as necessary
4) Essential school responses/payments made
5) SE work invoices paid/filed/payments set up for when due
6) New voluntary work admin done - extra responsibility but am proud of get things going.
7) Joined a few local fb groups, intention of selling a few items at a time (long standing never achieved goal!)
8) prescriptions ordered online for next week
9) discussed in 1hr call helping out sibling in their new venture - some research to do.
10) Busy time coming up next term in school part time job, updated diary and checked all commitments/dates so feel a bit more on top of things.

Off to bed now, have lots of chores to do tomorrow
1) banking + fill in form for electronic payments in future
2) dropping of flyers at various places for charity group
3) rearrange eye appt as optician has cancelled
4) possible coffee with garden centre friend if she replies.
and so on

Morning Redo
I had given it all up as well but with encouragement from here to fit in nice things have made it into a regular - more or less every two weeks with this one friend, she's the sort that you don't have to make an effort with, just genuine friendship and no demands. Some people are amazing like that.

Thank yo Cumbria, yes to coffee which was lovely, and a weekend at home which was also lovely.
Lots more washing. Grocery shopping. and local HomeBays has become a different warehouse so popped in to have a look , bought bag of multipurpose compost and two large terracotta pots - good intentions of planting up flowers/bulbs, but it was too cold this weekend (more snow and icy wind).

Have a list a mile long for today. One being banking a load of 1p and 2p pieces plus some old pound coins which I have found - they keep appearing in pockets and bags - I have about £12 in change to bank So I won't need to do my wight lifting today

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